Co-Adaptation was a two-person exhibition with abstract painter, Claire Melli at the University Center Gallery at The University of Montana.

This body of work is intended to be blatantly autobiographical. I use my surfaces in the same way one would use the pages of a journal: to reflect, express, or document. The hand-written language that is used derives from past and present personal experiences from my life. The phrases mostly consist of remarks that were said to me, or reoccurring thoughts that continue to surface in my everyday obstacles and triumphs. I often pair this text with decorative patterning in an effort to expose the varying parts of an individual’s personality.

The use of a soft, quiet color palate paired with obtrusive and occasionally vulgar language is intended to expose a shy and feminine version of myself. In addition, I like to think of my “functional” pieces as subtle vehicles of communication. The dichotomy of the text and the aesthetic of the surface treatment used leave an element of surprise that I find satisfying. With narcissism at its best, I hope to uncover some common ground with the viewer.